


The Family They Always Had

by CagedNightingale



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, FuckYeahPhilinda, blazengirl410, philindasecretsummer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 21:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1757351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CagedNightingale/pseuds/CagedNightingale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Family is not only about DNA" (Moonlight, E15.S01) FitzSimmons and Skye realize how much of a family the team really is, in their everyday life struggles at the Playground and new adventures as agents of the newborn S.H.I.E.L.D.</p><p>Spoilery, if you haven't watch the show, it's set after the Season 1 finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Find your strenght

**Author's Note:**

> Submission written for blazengirl410, for the lovely project FuckYeahPhilinda on Tumblr made: Philinda Secret Summer! My prompt was "Philinda considering team their kids" The muse struck hard and it came out a 7 chapter-long fic. It's my second fic, like ever and the first one this long, but I hope blazengirl410 will like it anyway! :D Please feel free to share and comment! :D
> 
> **Need to know** 
> 
> Fitz is suffering from PTSD, after what happened. And even if he's fully recovered phisically, he can't walk, and is strolling around in a wheelchair. (I know, I'm sorry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz has troubles with his rehabilitation, and starts to doubts himself.

The knock on the door was unexpected, it was too early for May to be there, yet. Coulson fixed his loose tie and looked towards the door. “Come in” he called.

There were few seconds of stillness, before the door handle got pushed down, and Coulson knew already who it was on the other side of the door.  
He motioned to get out from behind the desk and go helping Fitz in the room, but he thought better. He knew the young agent wouldn’t have liked it.

Still, he felt powerless while watching the boy trying to maneuver the wheelchair in the room. He hated Ward so much, he was glad he was away and safe in a federal prison.

Fitz stopped just after the door frame and turned slightly his back to push the door closed behind the chair, a melancholic, resigned smile on his lips.

He then moved towards the desk and took a breath: “Good evening, Sir” he told finally Coulson.

“Hello, Fitz” he greeted back, the engineer seemed tense, and Coulson had the feeling he was not about to like the discussion.

“I know S.H.I.E.L.D. is not completely, back yet” he started looking straight at Coulson “but I wanted to let you know, Sir, that I have complete faith in you, and I am sure you will put it back together in absolutely no time” he continued, stealing a smile out of Coulson “and that is the reason why, I am giving you this” he added taking an envelope out of the pocket of his hoodie, he handed it to Coulson.

“What’s this?” the older man asked.

“That’s my resignation letter, Sir. From S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Phil Coulson smothered the urge to throw the envelope in the paper shredder.

“Why are you resigning, Fitz?” he asked instead “what’s going on?”

“I don’t think I can be of use anymore… and I probably should go home to my parents anyway, you know...to get them used to this…” he stopped for a second “whole...new me” he concluded.

Coulson sighed and stood up from his chair, and silently went to the opposite side of his desk, sitting in one of the guest chairs, turning it towards Fitz.

“I am not changing my mind, Sir, no matter what you tell me” the agent told him, picturing already the “talk” Coulson was going to give him.

“I don’t want to tell you a damn thing, Fitz” he said “I just wanna know why you think you’re not of use anymore” Coulson asked calmly.

Fitz wasn’t really going anywhere, this was only a temporary crisis and he knew that.

“Because I can’t do a bloody thing anymore! I can’t even reach the holotable!” he bursted out “and I don’t care what Simmons thinks, I’m not getting on my legs anytime soon. I am not Wa…” he stopped, trying to get a hold on the emotion in his voice.

“I am not a specialist. I can’t do this anymore, Sir” he looked at his hands “I am 43% of what I used to be for the agency, you have no use for me here anymore” the end of the sentence was more a whisper and Coulson wished he could just take all his pain away, give him back his strength.

“You’re right, you’re not a specialist… but what does that mean?” he asked rhetorically “Do you seriously think you have to be a specialist to overcome problems?” he asked again “Do you think Simmons is wrong about you? You know her, you know perfectly well how good of a doctor she is. Why are you not trusting her anymore?”

“I trust her. I just can’t...I am not”

“Stop saying that” Coulson stood up and grabbed the handles on his chair, pushing him away from the desk and out of the room.

“Sir, what are you…”

“Shut up, Fitz” he shushed him, pushing him all the way through the playground, to the gym where he had been doing rehabilitation with Simmons for two weeks now.

“Is this your problem?” he asked stopping and getting again in front of him “is physical strength your problem? Is it that you can’t take the physical therapy?”

The boy fell silent. He was expecting Coulson to retaliate, but this was different.

“I know I am not strong enough to walk again” he mumbled looking down at his legs, he had tried, he had tried so hard, without succeeding, for so long. He just knew he couldn’t.

“Then don’t use strength. Use your mind” Coulson told him suddenly

Fitz looked at him: “What?”

“Leo, you are an engineer. You’re one the best, most brilliant mind S.H.I.E.L.D has ever encountered. You build amazing things, You build the Icers, and the holotable, and the golden retrievers, and the seven dwarves. You want me to believe you can’t really come up with something that can help you with this therapy?” he asked. “Your strength is not in your body, is in your brain and in in your soul. Fitz, you’re a hero, you saved Jemma and she’s only pushing you on these machines all day because she cares about you, and wants you to get better. But if you keep thinking you have to be Captain America to get back on your legs, that’s not gonna work. You’re right, you’re not a specialist, it doesn’t mean you can’t win this fight, Fitz” Coulson ended, hoping his words had pierced through the boy’s despair.

“I… don’t know, Sir” he said, confused.

“Yes. Yes, you know… let me ask you something: Do you really want to leave the agency? Do you really wanna leave Jemma alone?”

Fitz looked at him, and then down again.

No, he didn’t want to leave her, and he didn’t really wanted to leave Skye, or May...and Coulson. He didn’t really wanted to leave Triplett either. But he felt so slow and heavy, and if was feeling that way now, that they were basically just handling paperwork and trying to rebuild the agency, how was he gonna feel when they would get back on field? Fighting the good fight? Would he be left behind?

He shook his head, slowly.

“No..” he said trying to keep the tears from falling. He had to be strong. He didn’t wanted to cry, not in front of Coulson.

“In this case, I’m not even gonna open that stupid letter you gave me. This is where you belong, Leo, we are your family and we are not gonna give up on you. No matter what. And I don’t want you to give up on yourself either. Bad days? They are ok, you can scream and flip the tables and destroy this gym, I don’t care. As long as the day after, you’re back on the saddle. Because you can make it. I believe in you. May believes in you, you also saved her life, do you remember that? And Jemma and Skye also believe in you. I’m pretty sure Trip does too.” Coulson put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, while Fitz nodded and sniffed scratching his nose with the back of his hand.

“Thank you, Sir”

“Don’t even mention it” Coulson smiled “I want you to make me even more proud of you than I already am.”

Fitz nodded energetically. He actually already had few ideas that would probably help he and Jemma.

“I have to leave with Trip in a couple hours, but I think I have time for a bowl of Ice Cream and some...what’s his name, Doctor Who? Why don’t you show me your favourite episode?”

He asked Fitz, making him smile and nod again.

“That’s my boy… let’s go” he said grabbing the handles of his chair again and pushing him back towards the lounge room.

While passing through a corridor, he took out his phone from his pocket and started writing a message to May.

** \- Fitz needs us, no ‘us’ time before I go. But we’ll be in the lounge room -  **


	2. Sleepless night and cake batters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmons can't sleep, because of cakes.

It was almost one in the morning, Melinda May was roaming the halls of the Playground checking out every room, every corridor, every corner. She wasn't really looking for something, she was mostly looking out for someone. Everyone. Actually... mostly for FitzSimmons and Skye because...well, Billy was okay-ish, but he wasn't really part of her priorities, and with Coulson and Trip out for some new recruits assessment, she was the only one that could do that; also she tried to fall asleep for more than 90 minutes, without succeeding, so why not?

Rationally, she knew the base was hidden and fortified, and she knew there were cameras everywhere and high-tech technology to defend them, but irrationally, she only trusted the security of her team with herself ... and Coulson. Triplett could take care of the younger agents, but not for long...sometimes even he needed to be protected, Specialist and everything.

Melinda rolled his eyes, shaking her head a little bit. After everything that had gone down, she felt the need to be there on the first line to take care of her team. Even if hell would have probably frozen over before she'd say that out loud.

She had just turned a corner to another hall, when suddenly a metallic crash made her run, towards a door with her I.C.E.R gun ready at hand.

When she burst the door open, she found herself in the kitchen of the base, aiming her gun at a shocked Simmons, with her arms wide open, looking like a deer in the headlights with at least 4 metal bowls spinning at her feet.

May put her gun back and looked at her: "Simmons...what the hell are you doing here?"

The girl shook her head trying to focus "I...I was just..." she paused kneeling down to the floor to fetch the bowls "I wanted to make a cake for Fitz...and...everybody else, for breakfast, tomorrow morning but it's already the fourth time I try mixing it and it just doesn't come out!" she was nervous and almost crying.

Melinda suddenly remembered Simmons and Fitz had a hard day. The poor boy was having troubles with his therapy and got the frustration out on her, and apparently that also had done a number on Simmons' nerves, she was tired and frustrated, not a good combination. May's heart clenched a bit.

"Here, let me help" said the older agent sweetly taking out the bowls from her hands and putting them on the kitchen counter: "what cake were you trying to make?" she asked looking at at least three different colored mixes and batters stains all over the place.

Simmons looked at May confused, but then she scratched her right eye with the back of her hand and nodded: "I tried black chocolate, white chocolate and pumpkin...but...it's never good enough...I don't know why!" she screeched a little.

Melinda put a hand on the girl' s shoulder and smiled: "It's ok sweetheart, let me help you, ok?"

Simmons's eyes widened at both the tone and the name, but she nodded again.

"What about a black and white chocolate cake, huh? Do you think Fitz would like it?" she asked while gathering the ingredients that laid all around the counter: flour, butter, chocolate, eggs, baking powder.

"Here" said May putting a pan of water on the stove, with a dish containing the dark chocolate on the top "why don't you melt the chocolate here, while I mix the other things?" she asked Simmons giving her a wooden spoon.

The girl nodded and smiled and started to steer the chocolate slowly melting on the dish.

"Thank you, Agent May" she said shyly looking at her sideways "I am usually very good at baking, I don't know what's happening to me..." she sighed sadly.

"You're just tired, Jemma, nothing is happening to your baking skills..trust me" the tone was calm and as matter of factly as usual again, but Simmons could not remember last time she called her by her first name. They spent almost 20 minutes baking in silence.

May finished the batter and Simmons had melted both the white and the black chocolate, the oven was already at temperature and the only thing left to do was to pour it into a tray and cook it.

"I didn't know you could bake" said Simmons watching intently while May used the chocolate to make beautiful dark swirls in the light colored batter "it's beautiful, Agent May!" she said admiring her work.

May smiled imperceptibly.

"It's ready to go inside the oven, why don't you put it in, while I make us some tea?" she asked leaving her.

Simmons smiled, she was feeling way calmer and way more relaxed than when she started baking at midnight.

May poured boiling water in two cups, making chamomile tea for Jemma and jasmine green tea for herself, and when the young lady approached the table, she handed her the cup.

"I feel so silly now, I'm sorry...but...what are you even doing up? Did I wake you?" asked Jemma worried, the kitchen was far away from the bedrooms, and there was no way they could have heard the noises she was making.

"I couldn't sleep" May replied simply.

"Thoughts bothering you?" Jemma asked carefully, with Melinda May those questions were tricky.

May didn't reply, but shook her head and Jemma shrugged her shoulders, May didn't open up with anybody. Except maybe Coulson.

"Thank you, by the way" said the biochemist again.

Melinda May stood up: "Come on" she said gesturing to the younger agent to stand up "Let's go to bed"

Jemma looked at the mess in the kitchen: "Not yet..I have to clean up first and the cake.."

"I said, let's go to bed" Melinda tone was so firm Simmons stood up almost automatically.

"The oven is going to turn itself off after the timer goes off, and I will come to check on it before going to bed myself, come on" she added before gesturing her out of the room.

Jemma Simmons had never been treated like that, not even by her own mother and father, Agent May stalked her until they reached her bedroom, she waited outside the door while she brushed her teeth and flipped the light switch off once she was under the blankets, before closing the door to her room behind her.

Agent Simmons was surprised, but while drifting into sleep, she couldn't help but smile and feel loved.

 

Melinda May slowly opened the doors of both Skye's and Fitz's room, checking up on them before leaving the hall.

 

It was 7 AM, when Coulson entered the kitchen looking for coffee and found May drying bowls and putting them back away. On the counter a huge cake was cooling out on a plate.

She shrugged, without looking at him: "Simmons has been trying all night long. I helped her, and put her to sleep, then cleaned the mess we made" Coulson smiled, and getting closer to her, he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed her against his body, kissing her temple.


	3. You Are Protected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye is late for a training session with her new S.O. - parenting ensues.

Since they took down Hydra, Skye had started to wake up every morning at 5AM to meet Melinda May, she still needed to be trained physically. She needed to learn how to fight, still needed an S.O. and who better than Melinda May? They spent two weeks training from 5 AM to 8 AM, then May told her they'd be switching to evenings from 6PM to 9PM.

That Thursday evening though, Skye was not there yet. Melinda waited until 6:45, then started looking for her. She checked her room first without success, then headed down to the labs.

Fitz, Simmons and Trip were all there. Simmons and Fitz messing around with their latest project for the new S.H.I.E.L.D. and an amused Trip was watching them bicker while cleaning a stack of old guns they had found in the Playground's armory.

Trip was the first one to notice her: "Agent May" he just called her.

"Has anyone of you seen Skye? She hasn't come to our training..."

The young specialist shook his head: "No, I haven't seen her since after lunch" he told her.

May looked at FitzSimmons that shook their heads too.

"Maybe she's with Director Coulson?" said Jemma turning her head again to the project followed suit by Fitz.

May stepped away from the lab, checking every room she passed on her way to Coulson' s new office.

"Come on in!" Coulson voice replied to her knock.

May slipped inside and felt her concern grow when she saw Skye wasn't there.

"Hey" said Coulson changing mood when he noticed the frown Melinda was wearing "are you okay?"

"I can't find Skye, she was supposed to meet me at 6 for our training" she pointed with her head behind her "and the other kids haven't seen her since lunch, I'm starting to get worried" she said.

Coulson pushed the button to the intercom.

"Koening?" he called to the machine.

"Yes, Sir?" Billy's voice sounded a bit distant from the small, black machine on Coulson' s desk.

"We can't seem to find Skye, can you please check where she is?"

"Straight away, Sir"

May watched Coulson curiously, and he smiled knowingly, raising his lanyard.

"That's why you told me to leave it in my room at night" she said shaking her head at the sneakiness.

"Yes, I don't know about you, but I like our privacy..."

Melinda nodded, a tiny smile curving her lips.

"Director Coulson, Sir?" Koening called again from the machine, and Coulson pushed the button again.

"You found her?" he asked immediately.

"Yes, Sir. She's in her room, Sir."

"Thank you" Coulson stood up and motioned to May outside the office with his hand on her arm.

"I checked already and she wasn't there, Phil" she told him while they were strolling down the corridors.

"Maybe she is there now" he replied "what could have happened? She was fine this morning...you're just being paranoid, you need to tone it down, Melinda" he gently teased her.

The smile faded when he opened the door to Skye' s room and found out that no one was actually there.

The lanyard laid on the nightstand though.

May picked it up "She knows about the tracking"

Coulson opened her wardrobe. His eyes opened wide. It was empty.

"Skye' s planning to leave...but why?" he turned to May, scared.

"We have to find her...Phil...we have to" Melinda stepped closer to him, waiting. He was the analyst, after all, he would find her without even searching.

"Her van" he said suddenly "in the bus"

They rushed outside, running towards the garage, where the bus with Skye' s van was parked.

When May opened the door of the van, they found Skye rolled up on the small, improvised bed of her van, a bag was on the floor, opened showing the clothes she pushed inside.

"Go away!" she cried pushing her head further between her legs and her torso.

"Skye...what happened?" Coulson asked gently while both he and May got inside the van.

"Go away...please...I have to go away, I have to leave!" she moved away from them.

May noticed a creased piece of paper on the floor, next to the bag and picked it up, reading it.

"Son of a Bitch!" she exclaimed giving the paper to Coulson while moving next to Skye and holding her in an unexpected hug. The girl started sobbing again.

"How could he?" she asked hugging May back, after a moment of surprise.

"You are not a monster, Skye. You are not" May tone was firm.

The girl shook her head "I don't know that...I don't know what I am, and...how could he wrote that he loved me? How could he..." she stopped talking.

Coulson sighed and moved to the other side of Skye, putting a hand over her head.

"Ward is a complicated man, Skye..." he said trying to find the words to soothe her pain "maybe he means it, maybe not... there's just too much there to try to understand him, and you don't owe him anything. You don't have to forgive him" he said rubbing her hair gently.

"How did that letter arrived here in the first place?" asked May angrily.

"He gave it to Koening, yesterday when he went to fetch those reports" replied Skye raising her head a bit between May's hug and Coulson' s hand "I don't know what to do" she shook her head, wiping her eyes on her shirt.

"You don't have to do anything" Melinda's tone was more gentle now, she pulled a stray of Skye' s hair back from her face.

Coulson smiled at the tenderness of the scene, the surprise on Skye' s face for the way Melinda was acting with her, was so overwhelming.

"You have feelings for him, don't you?" asked Coulson.

"I had..." Skye nodded looking at him "I thought I buried them the moment I discovered Eric's body" she added sadly.

"That was adrenaline, Skye... with everything that was happening, you kept your cold blood. You showed amazing strength, it's okay to let it out" May added calmly, and she would know...after Bahrain, she didn't let it out, and the aftermath of those feelings kept inside her, was still affecting her.

Skye looked at her for a moment: "Do you think he means it?" she asked "that he loves me..."

May sighed "Yes, I do. No matter how good of a spy he is, I don't think he could have lied to the Asgardian Witch, and she told me, too"

"But he still betrayed us..." she said.

"Ward has always been a soldier, Skye" Coulson chimed in "he obeys to orders... putting his feeling aside, no matter what. He just didn't have the strength to realize he was fighting for the wrong side, and do something about it. I'm sorry" he added.

"He wrote that I am a monster...that my biological parents are monsters...that they killed people, just like he killed people...he wrote that..."

"You are not the same as him" May cut him short "No matter who your parents were, you are not them, you're good and you have a family here, S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been your family...we are your family" those kind words were contrasting with the decisive tone May was using, but it did the trick and Skye nodded. "I don't want to hurt you...I don't want to hurt any of you! What if I can't control what I am? What if this thing inside of me wakes up and I go crazy?" she asked looking at both of them.

Coulson smiled "First, you're never going to hurt us. Never. Second, I am right there with you...and May is keeping an eye on us...and Third, we deal with superpower all the time, you're safe with us, no matter what happens. We won't let anything happen to you and we won't let you hurt anybody else" Coulson' s tone was sweet and comforting, but May was still holding her...moving her thumb on her arm in comforting circles. Skye felt loved and protected. They were right, nothing would never happen to her until they were standing guard.

"Promise me?" she asked, unsure.

"I Promise" said Coulson without even flinching. Skye turned to May, looking at her eagerly with big brown moist eyes.

May could not prevent her lips to curve into a tiny smile "Yes, I promise...you are protected" she said putting a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Coulson smiled, looking at May.

"Why don't we go back inside?" he asked before standing up and fetching the bag from the ground, the two women followed him, and as soon as they stepped out of the van, Skye reached for May's hand, holding it in her own, the girl was expecting Melinda May to withdraw, but she squeezed her, instead.

Skye smiled watching Coulson walk in front of them with her bag, the hold of May's hand still strong against hers. In that moment, as silly as it could sound...she felt she had found a mum and a dad for the rest of her life.

 

 


	4. With a Taser and an Icer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy Koening is cought in the crossfire of the younger agents mischiefs

"Hey, do you guys want something to drink?" Trip asked leaning against the back of the couch and looking at FitzSimmons, that seated at the table were sciency away on some new prototype they had just finished.

"No, thank you Trip" Simmons smiled looking at him briefly before turning her attention again at the gun on the table. "I think we should reduce the amount of serum inside these cartridges, Fitz... it could be dangerous" she added looking at her partner.

He shook his head: "That's the exact amount of Serum we want for this gun, it's not an Icer, Jemma...we are not incapacitating"

"I still think it's dangerous..." she sighed, but she kept on loading the magazine with the bullets.

Skye stood up from the couch where she was watching TV with Trip and got closer to the couple.

"What are you guys working at?" she asked looking at the gun on the table.

While Simmons was loading the bullets, Fitz was checking the trigger slid back properly in place.

"It's the sister of the icer gun" said Simmons while Skye took one of the pink-filled bullets from the table to look at it closely.

"It's very pink!" she said showing the bullet to Trip that had joined them.

"Yes, that's because it has to be different from the Icer, you don't want to use one instead of the other, trust me." she said knowingly.

Fitz was still checking the gun in silence.

"This should be good...this is gonna be good" he mumbled almost at himself

"So how does this work?"

Fitz looked at them and then at Jemma "It's a blend of truth serum and natural inhibitors, basically" he said picking up the magazine from Jemma's hand "Whoever is shot with this beauty, will feel the urge to compel to whatever you say. It's gonna be used to turn enemies on our side when we are outnumbered" he added loading the gun.

"What?" Skye was shocked "You can make people do that? You can take away the free will?" she asked.

"It's still a prototype and of course there are ethics that we still have to discuss...but yes, this is basically a poison that does that"

"How do you know it works?" asked Trip "I mean.. I shoot some random guy attacking me with this and then he obeys me?" he was confused "what if someone else gives him another order?" he asked "and what about his life?" Agent Triplett could not believe they could actually came up with such an evil poison. It was sketchy at best.

"Don't be silly Trip" said Jemma "there's an antidote for this, and it only works for a couple of minutes, anyway!"

Fitz nodded: "Just the time to turn the odds into our favour, but we have to try it first... that's why we should have a monkey!"

"Again with the monkey, Fitz!" Skye shaked her head, giggling a little bit.

"We will have to wait until we're on the field to see if it works, I guess...since we have no monkey to test it on."

"Can I see it?” Trip asked looking at the gun in Fitz hands, the scientist nodded and handed it over, Koening walked in at that second: “You guys done with the television?” he asked. “it’s almost time for my show!” Trip turned to him “Yes, Billy we’re done you can…”

He didn’t finish the sentence because the gun in his hands exploded sending a bullet right at Koening that fell on the floor immediately.

“WHAT THE HELL! I DIDN’T PUSH THE TRIGGER!” Trip looked in shock at the gun while Jemma and Skye ran to Koening to check on him.

“He’s alive!” said Jemma immediately, while Trip took the magazine out of the gun.

“Probably the trigger jammed inside and fired when you turned” said Fitz moving his wheelchair to reach Koening as close as he could. “This might be good, we can test the poison on him, Jemma!”  
“Don’t be stupid Fitz! We can’t use Billy as a guinea pig!” screeched the Biochem while trying to revive him.

Skye was checking his pulse: “It’s completely passed out...Hey! Billy! can you hear me?!” she called, but no response came for either her or Simmons.

“Could it be the poison?” asked Trip worried, while Jemma was still trying to figure out how to wake up the poor man.

“It’s surely the poison! I told you it was too much, Fitz!” she said looking around for something to do.

“You said there was an antidote?” Skye asked looking at her friend that blushed “Yes, there is an antidote, but we haven’t mixed it..yet..” she mumbled.

“Oh my…” Trip covered his face with his hands in frustration “so what do we do?” he asked then “we have to think of something!” he looked at Jemma and Fitz.

“We could tase him!” said Leo after few seconds, “the electric surge should give him enough energy to break the formula of the serum!” he said.

Jemma’s face lightened up “and the dendrotoxin of the Icer gun would prevent him the shock!” the two scientists high-fived, while Trip and Skye were still confused.

“So we have to tase and shoot him?” asked the hacker perplexed.

“Yes, we do” said Fitz nodding, followed suit by Jemma.

“Are we sure this is not going to kill him?” asked Trip uncertain.

“Well he’s not gonna wake up either…” replied the biochem matter of factly.

“Ok...let’s try...before A.C and May come back, and we’re all in troubles.” said Skye before leaving to get a taser and and Icer gun.

  
  


“Ok, so I shoot him in the leg, and you tase him, ok?” said Trip to Skye getting his gun ready. The hacker nodded and both looked at Jemma that was holding Billy down.

“Ok, at my three, ready? One...Two…”

“What the hell is going on here?” Coulson’s voice froze them on the spot.

“Shit…” murmured Trip looking at Agent Coulson and Agent May that with wide eyes were looking at the scene they were offering.

Jemma holding down a passed away Billy, and Trip and Skye aiming guns at him.

“You have three seconds to put the guns down and explain to me what’s happening” Coulson said getting close.

“Koening, are you okay?” he asked while Melinda followed him.

No response came from the man, and Coulson looked at the young agents deadly.

“He might be poisoned” Simmons started slowly “it was an accident, really…” she added when she noticed both Coulson and May’s faces were blackening.

“Trip was trying the new prototype and the trigger jammed and it hit Koening...and…” Fitz tried to explain.

“so you were going to Ice him and tase him?” asked Coulson with a tone angrier by the minute.

“It’s to wake him up...FitzSimmons said that the shock and the Icer would be some kind of an antidote, because they still have to make the right one...and”

“That’s enough!” Coulson raised his hands “first of all, I don’t want to see prototypes or other dangerous things outside the labs ever again,and second of all WE DO NOT SHOOT OUR OWN!” he screamed “I don’t care if it was an accident, take the damn dendrotoxin out of the bullet if that’s an antidote and inject it! DO. NOT. SHOOT. am I clear?” he shouted.

Everyone nodded silently, completely mortified.

“You two” he pointed at Skye and Trip “Take Koening in his room. now!” he hissed at the couple, and then looked at May, that proceeded to help them out.

“You two, get your butts in the lab, and go working on a PROPER antidote. You’re not going to leave it until you have the cure! Now!” he raised his arm in direction of the lab, and didn’t lowered it until the couple of scientists had pass him through.

 

Some days he had the feeling his team was a bunch of kids playing with dangerous toys. Who was he kidding? His team was definitely a bunch of kids playing with dangerous toys, and they’d drive him crazy, sooner or later...

 

 


	5. A Moment Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a Philinda moment

"Can you believe we practically had to ground them?" he asked loosening up his tie and discarding the jacket on the chair in front of his desk. Melinda was still sporting her death stare, the one she had shoot to the younger agents, for more than 10 minutes.

"It was for the best, poisoning Koening? that’s not something you can pass on" she said dryly before sitting on the sofa, Phil sat next to her, laying down and putting his head in her lap.

"And it took them two hours to fix him. I still don't like screaming at them now" he said "but they really pissed me off, come on! How could they be so reckless!" Melinda started to rub gently his chest, over his white shirt, to ease the stress she could sense not only in his voice, but also under his skin.

"You're not becoming a softie, are you?" she asked teasing him, while her fingers unbuttoned the top of the shirt, sneaking inside after a second, to keep on rubbing him gently, he was so tense...he had to relax a bit.

"It's just that...with everything that's been going on...I'd rather not to, but I don't want to lose my authority over them either..." he said closing his eyes and enjoying the cuddles, finally letting go some of the tension he had built in the last five hours, between the rounds he and Melinda had been doing all day to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. and the poisoning, he was extremely tense.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Phil" she said with a teasing smile "you can be very intimidating..."

Coulson opened his eyes, looking at her: "Can I?" he asked back, Melinda nodded.

"You do intimidate me sometimes" she said looking at him.

Phil Coulson was not expecting those words. He got up and looked at her. "What? Seriously?" he asked dumbfounded. Of all people, he was quite sure Melinda May would never find HIM intimidating.

"Please, explain..." he spurred her.

She turned towards him and took his hands between hers.

"It's your confidence" she said "you're a high level agent, or better...you’re Director now! You're comfortable giving orders... you're a natural born leader and that’s intimidating, especially to soldiers like me, why does that surprise you?"

"Honestly? I don't know, but it does... a little bit. I can't really imagine you being intimidated by me, we're always been friends before colleagues and now..." he trailed off shrugging and Melinda gave him her sideways stare before leaning towards him to whisper in his ear: "You were quite intimidating also last night, you know... I found it very sexy" she told him before getting up to pour a glass of whiskey for them both.

Phil smiled sneakily and let his eyes follow her. She was enchanting. Everything about her was lethal and graceful at the same time, and he loved her. And he adored her.

He was still surprised by the strength of the feelings he had for her. He always knew he cared about her, a lot, but what he ended up feeling after their first kiss, after their first night together? It had completely overwhelmed him. All of a sudden a fire was awaken in him and his whole world had turned upside down, he was seeing her completely, what she was, what she meant for him, the time they had spend together, it all made perfect sense. It was a complete awakening. It had only been two months, since that night. He was wailing in his fears of not being good enough to rebuild the agency, she had come to the rescue, as always, giving him strength and motivation. Phil had taken advantage of the two drinks he had, and kissed her, knowing he could blame the whiskey, but it had been a real epiphany, instead. It had started as some kind of need, and it had become a blazing light that had shook him at his core.

Melinda walked back to the couch, and Phil left his reverie, she had two crystal glasses with the bottom filled of golden liquid and offered him one.

He took it and started talking again before even fully realizing it:

"But...you're not a soldier, you're my partner. There's no old S.H.I.E.L.D anymore, I want you as my second in command, as my companion. Don't think even for a second that what we have is free of any emotional attachment, because is not." He raised his hand to caress her cheek and saw Melinda frowning.

"You are incredible, you do realize I was just explaining my point of view and not implying that I am insecure, right? Because I'm not. I'm not insecure, and you should really know me better than this." she said in a tone that was a mix of amused and confused.

Coulson chuckled "I guess I am not really that confident, huh?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes shaking her head and made their glass touch, in a silent cheer, before drinking from hers.

Phil looked at her again, while sipping his drink too, then he averted his gaze.

"What I said stays true, though..." he added looking suddenly at some imaginary spot on the wall in front of him "I have feelings for..."

"Phil.." she stopped him, and he turned his head towards May again.

She didn't want to hear that. Was she not feeling the same?

"There's no need to state the obvious. I know" she said simply "I know how you feel about me, and...I hope you know how I feel about you, too?" she asked looking at him in the eyes.

Coulson smiled and nodded, she had never been a woman of too many words. She was romantic in her own way and he liked that.

He put his glass on the coffee table in front of them and leaned towards her.

"I know there's no need...but I need you to hear it, Melinda..." he said on her lips "I love you" he added in a whisper before kissing her. It became more passionate, and then Melinda pulled away. "I love you too" she said "I have for so long, Phil. You made me whole again"

Coulson caressed her cheek, before kissing her again.

 

 


	6. Bank's Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and FitzSimmons get in trouble at the mall, Director Coulson uses his best weapon.

The alarms started blaring so suddenly that Coulson and May rose from their chair at the same time, looking around,for the threat.

People were rushing outside, in all directions like there was a fire inside the mall, but the ceilings hydrants were not sprinkling any water over them, so it had to be something else.

Coulson took out his phone and called Skye, with a look at Melinda he saw that she was doing the same, probably calling Trip or Simmons.

The call went through, but Skye didn’t answer, a male voice was talking instead.

“Now, if you don’t want to end up like our security guys over there, be good and stay down!” some people screamed and the man resumed talking “no, this is not a robbery, this is a kidnapping. You’re our damn hostages and there’s no way someone is getting out of here, until we get what we want. Am I clear? So now be good and shut the fuck up until the police comes and we can get down to business”

Coulson was petrified by the anger, he looked at May and put the phone on speaker.

Jemma’s voice reached their ears: pleading and scared: “Please...my friend...he needs his chair… just let him go, you’re hurting him...take me...please!”

“He’s not going anywhere sweetheart...but since you’re so eager to please me, maybe we can find a nice private spot later, huh?”  
May clenched her fists “Where are they?” she hissed looking at Phil, that in that moment was sharing her same rage.

She didn’t really needed to know what was happening, she just needed to know where, so she could go there and kill that guy. Kill them all.

“May! Coulson!” Trip ran over to them “What’s going on?”

May turned at him: “Where are they?” she asked to the soldier “why the hell are you not with them?!” she growled.

Coulson stepped between her and the young agent, calming down May instantly.

“They have been taken hostages, we don’t know where yet” he said to Trip before looking at the phone, that he had left on the table. The call was still on, and he picked it up again.

“Skye answered my call” he said with his voice low putting the phone in between them “but we don’t know where they are”

“And Fitz is hurt” May said between clenched teeth. Oh, someone was going to pay, if something happened to her boy. Those guys were actually dead already. No matter what. But if something happened to Fitz or if they’d dare to touch her girls, she was going to take care of them very slowly.

Trip pushed the phone away slowly “They’re in a bank” he said. May and Coulson looked at him.

“FitzSimmons said they had some money in some bank accounts and wanted to take some cash, I don’t know which bank, though” he said mortified.

Coulson disabled the speaker and put the phone next to his ear: “Skye? Can you hear me?” he asked reaching a map of the mall they were in “there are four banks here, I need to know where you are, so we can come and get you out”.

 

Skye could hear Coulson, but she couldn’t answer without drawing attention to her. She tried to get behind the man next to her, but it was gonna take too long, Fitz was in pain and she couldn’t take it anymore.  
What the hell! she thought taking the phone.

“National Bank of America, fourth floor!” she said to the phone, smiling when the bandits turned to attack her.

“You’re so dead now. The Cavalry is coming…” she said trying to duck the hits, before the bigger guy managed to hit her so hard, everything went black.

 

They knew they couldn’t just get inside the bank as soon as they stepped on the right floor. The bandits had locked the doors from the inside and the police that had just arrived was making everything even more complicated. They were setting up a tape to prevent people from getting too close, but there was no way Coulson, May and Trip would step behind. Phil raised the tape and showed his badge: “I’m the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.” he said “Some of my men are in that bank. They might be hurt and I need to go get them” he stated to the man in civil clothes that was sporting a Detective badge on his belt.

“I’m sorry, Sir...but there’s no way you’re getting inside” he shook his head “S.H.I.E.L.D. has been reintegrated since when? One week? We’ll handle this” the man raised his arm motioning to the outside of the tape: “Please, step back and let us do our job” he said. Coulson shook his head again, and squared his shoulders: “What part of Director have you not understood?” he asked “I don’t give a damn about your job, those inside that bank are my people. And you’re going to do this as I tell you, or I will call whoever it is above you and reduce you into cleaning your district’s toilets for the rest of your days. Am I clear?” he said in deadly-threatening tone. Melinda smiled proudly. Yes, that was exactly what she had meant, a week earlier, when she told him he was intimidating.

The Detective took out a cellphone from his pocket and started a call, getting away from them. He returned a few moments later. “Ok then, apparently my boss thinks it’s a good idea to let you in this operation, but we are going to collaborate. I’m not handing anything over to you” he said in a stern tone.

Coulson shook his head: “It’s gonna be very simple, really. You give us an access point, she gets in, opens the way...and in 10 minutes, this is over” he said pointing at May. The Detective let out a skeptic laugh “Seriously?” he asked shaking his head again in exasperation.

“Not really” Melinda spoke calmly “More like five minutes” she added “he always thinks I’m slower than I actually am”. Coulson smirked looking at her first and then at the detective again. “If you think you can come here and make fun of us…” the man started again, but Coulson raised his hand. “You’re missing a crucial point here, boy” he said “she’s my best weapon, and if you want those criminal alive, you better get her access right now, because if they hurt my people? The only thing she’s probably gonna give to you will be corpses”.

“Minced corpses” Triplett chimed in.

“Listen to me, I have no idea what you guys are high on, but those men inside? they have semi-automatics, I am not gonna send in there a disarmed woman alo…”

Melinda attacked the guy, preventing him to finish his stupid sentence. She turned him on the back, put a leg between his feet, forcing him to lose his balance and pinning him to the ground. All the other officers were not pointing their guns at them.

“ Let. me. in. now” hissed May letting him go and dusting off her pant.The guy stood up, looking at her with terrified eyes. “Whatever, it’s your damn life, BUT one of the hostages gets even a scratch, S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking the fall, and this time it will stay dead!” he roared grabbing a map off the hand of one of the officers and showing her an air conduct. “This gets inside the bank, in the director’s office in the back, we can access it from the shop next to it”.

“What are we waiting for?” May asked looking at him.

The man sighed: “Take my gun” he said taking it out from his holster and handing it to her.

“How many men inside?” she asked instead.

“Five, with semi-automatics” he reiterated pushing the gun towards them.

“I don’t need a gun” May said walking towards the shop, leaving the man standing there completely speechless.

“Is she crazy?” he asked shocked. Trip giggled, but Coulson shot the man an ill look.

“Do you have eyes on the Inside?” asked the younger agent. The detective pointed at some monitors on a table.

“Then you’ll want to watch this” Trip smiled while all of them walked next to the monitors. Coulson started to look for Skye, Simmons and Fitz on the video feed, but the only thing he was able to see from the small black and white screen, was Fitz’s wheelchair sideways on the floor in the middle of the bank. He felt his blood boil in his veins, Melinda was going to let them out. Everything was going to be alright, they were fine. They had to be.

 

Melinda spotted the grate she needed to open as soon as she stepped inside the clothes boutique, the two agents escorting her, were opening a foldable ladder. She rolled her eyes “I don’t need that” she said and saw them looking at her with a puzzled stare. This was just getting on her nerves, and slowing her down. She jumped, gripped the grate and pushed back towards the floor, taking the grate with her. The two men gasped with wide eyes and she shook her head, jumping again, this time higher sliding her hands inside the tunnel, she lift herself up, and in a moment, was inside crawling towards the bank. There was no light in the airing conduct, but she didn’t really needed it, when she could hear the voices of the men she was probably going to kill, echoing through the metal, guiding her.

She reached a grate and observed through it. It wasn’t one of the back offices, it was actually on the cashiers.

She could see Simmons and Skye, the hacker was passed out and Jemma held her head in her lap, stroking her hair. She couldn’t see Fitz. Where was he? She needed to find the right grate, she needed to get inside and stop that non-sense.

May kept on moving, until she finally reached what she was looking for. Using her elbow, she hit it in a specific point: the screws gave in only on one side, preventing it from crashing to the floor and drawing attention.  
She jumped inside the bank and looked around. No one was there, everybody were out front, with the five men holding them.

Time to go.

She ran to the door, opening it to a crack and finally her eyes found Fitz. He was in pain, holding his right leg and trying hard not to whimper under the semi-automatic he had pointed at his head.

Good, that guy would be the first to go.  
She opened the door more, sliding silently in the room, hiding behind a desk, all the armed men were looking towards the glass doors, no one was even looking at her. May raised her head a little over the desk and met Simmons gaze.

The relief in the girl’s eyes made May just more angrier towards those men.

She pointed at the man threatening Fitz, and Simmons nodded slightly.

Melinda May stood up, and ran towards her target.

  
  


The detective was watching the screen intently, when Coulson pointed out a black spot behind a desk.

All the hostages were held directly under the cameras, making them an undistinguished blurry mass on the bottom of the screen, but they could clearly see the men facing the glass doors and all the cashiers on the other side of the room. The desk Melinda was hiding behind was on the opposite side and Coulson could not believe no one of the five robbers was actually facing her.

“These men are idiots, this is gonna be over in 60 seconds” he said to Trip that nodded solemnly watching the screen.

“I’m sorry, but who is this woman? Rambo? I think you’re in way over…”

The Detective was not able to finish the sentence because May had already gotten into action. He watched her rise from her hiding, run towards the bottom of screen, and then four gunshots echoed in the mall.

The glass entrance to the bank was open 15 seconds later, by Melinda May carring a semi-automatic rifle across her shoulder, like a bag.

Coulson and Triplett left the flabberghasted Detective and ran inside, he followed them almost immediately and looked at May, shellshocked. The left corner or her mouth raised up in a smirk “Three out of five are still alive...just bleeding out slowly, you better take them out of my way, or they’re just not gonna survive the next 15 minutes” she said pushing the rifle in his hand and following Coulson and Trip back inside.

Simmons had left Skye on the floor with her head on her rolled jacket and had run to Fitz, and was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong with his leg.

Coulson and Trip rushed to Skye, May reached for the two scientists, while the police forces started to take care of all the civilians.

  
  


“How are you?” May asked leaning down next to Simmons to check up on Fitz, the boy shook his head and hissed “I can’t move. I can’t bloody move! Everything hurts so badly!” he cried his eyes wide shut.

“I can’t even touch him to make sure he’s alright, he won’t let me!” Jemma looked at May aggravatedly.

“Let me try something...I’m not gonna touch your legs, Leo, ok? Just your neck” she said calmly moving behind him and putting her hands on both his shoulders. “I need you to take a deep breath on my three” she added moving her fingers to find specific points.

“Ok, Leo…here we go, one...two….three…” as soon as she felt the boy take a breath, she pushed the points with her fingers, making him groan a little, but he relaxed suddenly.

May gestured Simmons to check his legs, and she pushed the boy’s head into her lap while still applying pressure to his neck and base of the skull. Simmons was able to control his leg, and he was fine. It was still just his PTSD playing tricks on him. She raised her thumb to May that gestured again towards Fitz’s chair “go get it” she said simply.

Jemma nodded and went to get the chair, coming back with Trip, they helped Fitz on it, while May kept holding his head.

“This is amazing...what are you doing to him?” asked Trip curiously.

“It’s just stress-relief points” said the older agent “how’s Skye?” she looked towards the girl seated on the floor, with an ice bag on her head, talking quietly with Coulson.

“Just a strong headache” said Triplett smiling “she’ll be fine”

May sighed in relief.

 

 


	7. Phone Calls: Operation Zombie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Director Coulson receives a phone call, Operation Zombie is a go.

 

 

 

The phone on Coulson’s desk started to ring, and they parted from the kiss, silently catching their breath.

“Take it, I’ll go watch the kids” May said with a smirk, but he held her for the wrist, sliding his hand in hers and shaking his head.

“They’ll be fine, and I don’t think it’s gonna take long...stay” he said not letting her hand go and taking the phone.

“Coulson” he answered.

“Finally! What was keeping you? And you should really start answering with a ‘Director’ in front of your surname...Director”

Phil smiled and put the call on speaker: “Good Evening, Maria” he said taking May’s hand in his and caressing it with his thumb gently.  
“Paperwork, you won’t believe the amount of bureaucracy it takes to be S.H.I.E.L.D. Director” he joked, looking at Melinda, with a smirk.

“Oh, believe me, I know. Who did you think was filing reports when Fury was busy elsewhere?” she told him “Of course I’m calling because Operation Zombie is in motion. And I still thinks it’s an awful name, Phil. Come on!” Maria Hill groaned.

Coulson laughed and he could see from May’s look that she shared the same opinion on the operation’s name as Hill.

“I like it, it’s funny” he just said, the smile still on his lips.

“Well, I have to make the reservation for your table, what’s the cover?”

“There’s no cover” Coulson said “just use a fake surname and reserve a table for six” he replied.

“For six?” she asked “Koening is not coming?”

“No, he doesn’t want to leave the playground without anyone minding it, so it will only be me, May and the Kids”

Maria chuckled and Phil didn’t realized what he’d said until May pinched him on the arm. But it was too late to take that back.

“You really love that team, don’t you?” Maria said lightly and she continued before Coulson could respond “and you really love May too, you should tell her. I have the feeling it’s not one-sided” she chuckled again, foreseeing the embarrassment she was putting Coulson into.

“I love everyone on my team, and I make sure they know that, thank you very much” Coulson replied trying to smother the laugh coming up his throat.

“Yes, I’m sure they know. So I will see you in two days?” she asked “it’s gonna be lots of fun. I have set up cameras in the hall, so I can record the Avengers face when you’ll step out” she laughed “Tony is gonna have a heart attack, he took your passing pretty badly”

Coulson was strangely happy to hear that, for some reason.

“Thank you, we’ll see you the day after tomorrow” he told Maria before hanging up.

He looked at Melinda again, and used their entwined hands to drag her close to him.

“So...where were we?” he asked smiling before kissing her again.

  
  
  


****** AFTER CREDITS SCENE******

 

“That’s totally a making up, sound” Skye whispered looking at FitzSimmons and Triplett, all of them made a grossed out face and sound at the same time.

“And they did call us kids, you were right” said Trip looking at the small amplifier they were eavesdropping on Coulson and May from.

“Do you guys mind?” Skye asked looking at the other three.

FitzSimmons shook their heads in unison. Trip did that too.

“I think it’s really nice...actually, which is weird because I do have a mum and dad...but I can’t talk with them about my day, but with May and Coulson…”

“...they know what’s going on” Fitz concluded that sentence for Jemma.

Skye nodded “And I never had a mum and dad...so this is amazing” she smiled thinking about how she felt going to her room from the garage, with May’s hand in hers and Coulson carrying her bag.

“We should make them breakfast for tomorrow morning! To show them we love them too! We should make them pancakes! So they can know we love them too!”

“I think it’s a good idea” Trip smiled.

And Skye and Fitz nodded.

“Operation Pancakes for Philinda is on!” said Skye raising her fist in the air.

 

 


End file.
